Cecily Zamora
Canada's laws are constantly evolving, with new federal regulations and rules being introduced each year. In 2024, Canadians saw changes to the bail system, dental insurance, and taxes on foreign tech companies. The Digital Services Tax (DST), for example, imposed a 3% tax on Canadian revenue for internet companies with high worldwide annual revenue. The year also brought changes to gun laws, with Bill C-21 aiming to keep Canadians safe from gun crime by increasing penalties for weapons smuggling and trafficking, restricting handgun acquisition, and improving information sharing between law enforcement agencies. Additionally, there have been discussions around Canada's alcohol laws and the desire for more relaxed restrictions, particularly regarding public drinking. As we move into 2025, tax changes are expected to impact Canadians' finances, and new laws will continue to shape the country's future.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Tax laws | Changes in tax laws include a new tax on foreign tech companies, changes to the federal carbon tax, and the Digital Services Tax (DST) which imposes a 3% tax on Canadian revenue for internet companies with high worldwide annual revenue. |
| Bail system | The new bail reform act is a legislative response to the perceived failure of the bail system to ensure public safety. |
| Dental insurance program | The Canadian Dental Care Plan aims to address financial barriers to accessing dental care, particularly for marginalized groups. |
| Gun laws | Former Bill C-21 includes measures such as the automatic expiration of a registration certificate if a firearm's classification changes, increased penalties for weapons smuggling, and new offences for altering cartridge magazines. |
| Alcohol laws | Some Canadians believe their alcohol laws are puritanical and want more flexibility in drinking hours and public drinking. |
| Telecommunications laws | Some Canadians feel that telecom incumbents shaft them with high rates and limitations for phone and internet services. |
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What You'll Learn
Changes to bail system
Canada's bail system is the joint responsibility of federal, provincial, and territorial governments. The federal government is responsible for enacting criminal law, while provincial and territorial governments are responsible for the administration of justice, including most bail hearings and enforcement of bail conditions.
In 2019, the Criminal Code was amended to clarify the law of bail and make bail proceedings more efficient. These amendments were informed by extensive consultation with the provinces and territories.
In 2023, further changes were made to the Criminal Code's bail regime to address serious repeat violent offending, promote community safety, and reinforce public confidence in the administration of justice. These changes were developed in collaboration with all provinces and territories and were informed by engagement with law enforcement, community organizations, and other partners and stakeholders, including Indigenous partners.
The amendments make targeted changes to the bail regime to address serious repeat violent offending with firearms, knives, bear spray, and other weapons. They also aim to enhance the safety of victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) by making it more difficult for accused persons with a history of such violence to be released on bail.
Additionally, the amendments require courts to consider an accused person's history of convictions for violence when making bail decisions and to state on the record how they have considered the safety and security of the community and the particular circumstances of Indigenous accused and accused persons from vulnerable overrepresented populations.
These changes seek to improve the safety of people and communities across Canada while respecting the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees the right to liberty and the presumption of innocence for all accused persons.
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New tax on foreign tech companies
Canada has introduced a new tax on foreign tech companies, which came into effect on January 1, 2022. This tax will remain in place until a common global approach to taxing multinational corporations is agreed upon. The new rules will generate about C$200 million in federal revenues. The tax will be imposed on corporations providing digital services, such as Facebook and Google, and will not apply to startups or emerging companies.
The Digital Services Tax (DST) will impose a 3% tax on Canadian revenue for internet companies that have worldwide annual revenue of more than €750 million or Canadian annual revenue of over $20 million CAD. The DST is expected to raise C$5.9 billion ($4.3 billion) over five years, starting in the 2024-25 fiscal year. Foreign-based vendors with no physical presence in Canada will also have to start collecting sales taxes on products such as mobile apps, online video gaming, and streaming services. This measure is projected to bring in C$1.2 billion over five years.
The Canadian government has stated that this tax is necessary to ensure that large multinational digital corporations pay their fair share of taxes, just like any other company operating within the country. The finance ministry has expressed concern about delays in reaching an international agreement on taxing digital companies and has decided to take unilateral action.
However, the DST has faced opposition from American authorities and technology companies, who argue that it could lead to retaliatory tariffs or other negative consequences. Despite this, Canada is committed to addressing the challenge of taxing digital giants that can book their profits in low-tax countries. The DST is a significant development in Canada's efforts to reform the taxation of foreign tech companies operating within its borders.
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Amendments to firearm laws
Canada has a long history of gun control laws, dating back to the early days of Confederation. Over the years, there have been numerous amendments to the firearm laws in the country, with the primary objective of strengthening gun control and reducing gun violence. Here are some of the key amendments:
Bill C-21, which received Royal Assent on December 15, 2023, is a comprehensive plan to strengthen gun control and reduce gun crime in Canada. This bill includes measures such as codifying the national handgun freeze into law, increasing penalties for firearms smuggling and trafficking, and creating new offences related to "ghost guns". It also introduces Red Flag laws, allowing anyone to apply to a court for an emergency prohibition order to remove firearms from individuals who pose a danger to themselves or others.
Bill C-71, which received Royal Assent on June 21, 2019, extended background checks for firearms to a lifetime, implemented point-of-sale registration by businesses, and strengthened transportation requirements for restricted and prohibited firearms.
In 2020, the Government of Canada prohibited over 1,500 models of assault-style firearms, including semi-automatic guns, and certain components of some prohibited firearms. This was done to address the increase in gun violence and strengthen gun control in the country.
Other notable amendments include the Ending the Long-gun Registry Act enacted in April 2012, which eliminated the requirement to register non-restricted firearms. Additionally, in 2014, the Common Sense Firearms Licensing Act was introduced, reducing the paperwork required for the transportation of restricted firearms by licensed owners and abolishing the possession-only licence.
Canada has also taken steps to address self-harm and domestic, gender-based, and intimate partner violence involving firearms. "Red Flag" laws and resources have been implemented to allow for the removal of firearms from individuals deemed to be a risk to themselves or others.
The country's gun control laws continue to evolve, with the Government of Canada investing in raising awareness about firearm safety and strengthening gun control regulations.
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Alcohol laws
In 2023, a Canadian health agency supported a report stating that "any amount of alcohol is too much alcohol". This led to new national recommendations for Canadians to abstain from drinking altogether or limit themselves to a maximum of two drinks per week. These guidelines represent a significant shift from previous advice, which allowed for higher consumption levels. The report also suggested mandatory warning labels on alcoholic beverages to help individuals make more informed choices about their drinking habits. However, implementing such labels would require approval from Health Canada, which has not committed to this proposal.
Public education campaigns on alcohol consumption have historically proven challenging, and mass media campaigns have been largely ineffective in changing drinking behaviour. Despite this, Health Canada has taken steps to address urgent health and safety risks associated with flavoured purified alcoholic beverages. Regulations have been amended to mitigate the risks posed by their high alcohol content, allowing manufacturers flexibility in reformulating products or changing container sizes to comply.
The consumption of alcohol in public places is generally prohibited in Canada, although some provinces do not enforce this restriction. Quebec allows the consumption of low-alcohol drinks in public when accompanied by food. Additionally, most provinces have banned "tied houses" (bars affiliated with a single alcohol supplier), opting instead for free houses that offer products from various suppliers. An exception is made for brewpubs, where a bar and brewery share the same site.
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Digital Services Tax (DST)
The Canadian government has introduced the Digital Services Tax (DST) to ensure that revenue earned through online services in Canada is subject to Canadian income taxation at the federal level. The DST is a 3% tax on Canadian-source digital services revenue earned by large domestic and foreign taxpayers. It applies to revenues earned from online marketplace services, advertising services, social media services, and the monetisation of user data. The DST applies to large businesses, both foreign and domestic, that meet the following two revenue thresholds: global revenue from all sources of €750 million or more and digital services revenue of more than C$10 million. The DST will be effective for the 2024 calendar year and will apply retroactively to in-scope revenues earned since January 1, 2022. The first payment of the DST liability will be due by June 30, 2025.
The DST applies only to digital services revenues of more than C$20 million, and a taxpayer may need to register under the Digital Services Tax Act (DSTA) without having any DST liability. The DST also has an exception for taxpayers who may elect to use a simplified formula-based method for calculating digital services revenue for the calendar years for which the DST will apply retroactively (2022 and 2023).
The implementation of the DST will have wide-ranging effects on businesses supplying digital services in Canada, and both domestic and international enterprises should consider their compliance obligations. The DST will impact businesses that provide online marketplace, online advertising, or social media services. For example, social media services revenue includes revenue earned from providing a social media platform that facilitates interactions between users or between users and user-generated content. Similarly, online advertising services revenue includes revenue earned from facilitating the delivery of online targeted advertisements and providing digital space for such advertisements.
To determine whether the DST applies to a particular user, the user's location is determined by "what is reasonable to conclude" given the data available to the taxpayer in its normal course of business. Two general methods are used to determine a user's location: their precise location at the time of the transaction for online advertising services revenue and user data revenue, and other data such as the user's address on file or telephone area code for other revenue streams. If there is uncertainty about a user's location, the user is considered to be located in Canada by default.
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Frequently asked questions
Some of the weird laws in Canada include:
- It is illegal to have a pet rat in Alberta.
- In Port Coquitlam, you can keep no more than four pet rats.
- You can be fined $100 if your parrot in Oak Bay talks too loudly.
- A snowman cannot be taller than 30 inches.
- It is illegal to wear a snake in public or carry a pet lizard in Fredericton, New Brunswick.
Former Bill C-21, which received Royal Assent on December 15, 2023, is a recent change to Canadian law. It includes measures to combat gun crime, such as increasing penalties for firearms smuggling and trafficking, and adding new offences for "ghost guns".
Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) sets requirements for sending commercial electronic messages (CEMs). It applies to individuals, partnerships, corporations, and more. It is important to note that changing a business name does not affect the validity of consents obtained, as long as the purpose and scope of the consent are respected.
